The Power of Three
by babiexox
Summary: After a drastic change in their life, they must work together to survive and fulfill their destiny. Story of all three sisters in their teen years. Paige will be added later. Please R&R ONHOLD
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own charmed :(**

**Note: Flashbacks are written in italics **

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**Chapter 1: Where are we going?**

Looking out of the car window, Pheobe said "Wow this could be in a movie..." as she lost herself once again in her daydreams, staring off into the grand mountains that flashed by her face. Her older sisters Piper and Prue ignored her, as they usually do. "Don't you guys think that this could potentially be in a movie?" she asked once again. But once again, her sisters ignored her. Pheobe had dreams off going to hollywood one day, becoming this famous, pampered star, maybe gain a few stalkers or two.

Prue paid for the car, but Piper was driving it, manoeveuring it through the dangerous mountain paths, and across the deserted highways. Of course, if you could even call it a car. Pheobe though it was a pile of junk. A two hundred and fifty dollar box on wheels. It groaned each time they went up hill and the brakes screeched each time they went down hill. 'It would be amazing if it could even get us halfway to where we're going.' she thought.

"Guys where exactly are we going?" she wondered outloud. She didn't really expect an answer from her sisters, and again, she never got one. Suddenly Prue spoke to her for the first time since they had left Prescot Street.

"We're going away" she replied shortly

"Well thank you for stating this obvious--"

"We're going away from your father" Prue cut her younger sister off sharply

There was another few seconds of silence before anyone spoke again

"You know...he's your father too..." Pheobe added softly. As soon as those words left her mouth, she wished they hadn't

"He's dead to me the day he walked out on us" Prue snapped, blinking back tears. She glanced out the window and watched the sky grow dark, rain clouds, she thought, before losing herself within the depths of her own mind.

_"Daddy! Daddy!" a ten year old Prue ran up to her father's outstreched arms. _

_"Hey! How's my baby girl?" he said, setting down his heavy briefcase. _

_"Grams had a little accident in the livingroom today!" _

_"What happened?" his tone was suddenly dark and stern. _

_"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me what happened, but look!" Little Prue said, pointing to the mess left in the living room. The glass flower vase that Victor had given Patty the anniversary before their divorce laid shattered in pieces on the flower, a dark patch surronded it on the carpet where the water had spilted. The couch was ruined, patches of soot covered the once luxurious sofa. Family portaits had fallen and laid shattered on the floor as well. _

_"Penny..." he started, but stopped himself. "Prue, take your sisters upstairs" _

_"But Papa---"_

_"NOW!" he yelled. He put her down outside and shut the door. _

_"THIS HAPPENED AGAIN! THAT'S TWICE IN THREE WEEKS! HOW CAN YOU LET YOUR GRANDDAUGHTERS LIVE LIKE THIS?" Prue heard her dad shout at Grams. She ran upstairs as fast as her legs would carry her, skipping two steps at a time. _

_"Piper! Piper!" she cried bursting into her younger sister's room. _

_"What?" she said looking up from her book. _

_"Dad and Grams again!" Prue cried breathlessly. Piper threw down her book and ran out the door following her older sister. The two girls ran downstairs and hid on the stair case, watching the closed door with frightened, tearful eyes. _

_"THAT WAS HOW PATTY DIED! THE GIRLS HAVE NO MOTHER NOW DO YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE NO GRAMS EITHER? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?" _

_"Of course not Victor, but this is their destiny, this is who they are, who they're meant to be!" She equally as loud_

_"I'm scared Prue" Piper whispered, her tears now streaming down her face. _

_"It's ok Pepper...It's just another arguement like always...everything is gonna be fine..." she said, but deep inside Prue knew that this was it. This was the final straw. _

_"FINE! I CAN'T BE AROUND THEM LIKE THIS YOU'RE PUTTING MY GIRL'S LIVES AND YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE EVERY SINGLE DAY!" Victor said opening the door to the living room. He grabbed his briefcase and walked out the front door. _

_"Daddy?" Prue cried. But he never came back._

"Prue? Prue!" Piper said shaking her out of her dreams.

"Yea?" she said prying her eyes away from the scenery and turned to face her nineteen-year-old sister.

"We're almost out of gas" Piper stated softly, nodding her head towards the dashboard.

"Keep driving we're almost there"

"But--"

"Just keep driving!" she snapped.

"Why are we even going to where we're going?" Pheobe asked

_"Why do we have to move?" Pheobe whined. Piper turned her head also, looking to Prue for answers _

_"We're not moving" she replied simply, recieving confused glances from her younger siblings. "Just think of it as a vacation...a very long vacation." _

_"Where are we going?" _

_"Um...well...Mom's Dad left us a place somewhere up north, it's a little cottage thingy."_

_"We have a grandfather?" Piper asked with eyes wide open. _

_"Yea, apparently we do. Trust me, I was equally as shocked when I found out." _

_"Well, why can't we just tell them no thank you to cottage and just stay here?" Pheobe persisted_

_"BECAUSE VICTOR'S BACK AND THE STUPID FREAKING COURTS GAVE HIM RIGHTS TO THE HOUSE NOW THAT HE'S BACK" Prue wanted to so desperately shout those words at her sisters. She needed to express her hate for him. Instead, she forced a smile and said "Because I think we need a change of scenery, don't you?" she asked, walking towards the car and setting the last of their belongings in the trunk._

"Is this it?" Piper said, slowly pulling the car into the driveway of a deserted, run down cottage.

"I guess so."

"Ew...I'm not going in that, it looks haunted." Pheobe said. But she followed her sisters out of the car.

"Not really, with a coat of paint it'll look as good as new." Prue said optimistically.

"It's a dump" Piper objected.

The three girls cautiously walked up to the front of the cottage. The steps creaked slightly, threatening to break any minute.

"Try opening it." Piper suggested. Prue took out the numerous keys they had recieved in the mail.

_"Please sign here, Ms Halliwell." _

_"What is it?" Prue asked as she quickly scribbled her signature. _

_"Beats me" the delivery boy shrugged. _

_"Thanks" Prue said as she shut the door. She held the package up to her ear and shook it. "Sounds like keys" she muttered to herself. She quickly tore open the box and out fell a dozen keys and a smaller manila envelope. She tore that one open and quickly scanned the letter. _

_Dear Ms. Halliwell_

_We regret to inform you that your Grandfather, Arthur Halliwell has recently passed away. Stated in his will, it was his wishes to leave to yours and your sister's inheirtance rights to his fortune and Cottage. Enclosed are the keys to his estate._

"It's stuck" Prue said as she shoved a random key into the keyhole.

"Try wriggling it" Piper suggested.

"No it's the wrong key" Prue said as she tried another one. She began fidgeting with it.

"Move over! Lemme try" Pheobe said pushing her sisters out of the way. She started wriggling it.

"Pheobe don't force it" Piper cried

"Ok Pheobe it's the wrong key" Prue snapped shoving her aside.

"Don't push me!" Pheobe cried, angry at her sister for her blunt attitude. She tried to pry Prue's fingers from the key. But her grip was tight

"Stop it Pheobe!"

"Guys! The key's gonna---"

_SNAP!_

"--break...the key's gonna break" Piper stated.

"Great! Thanks to you we have half a key stuck in the hole" Prue said stomping down the steps. "How do you expect us to get in now Freebie?"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Pheobe threatened.

"Ohhh I'm so scared" Prue mocked.

"Guys stop it!" Piper screamed. "We'll just have to find another way in." she said walking around to the back of the cottage. "Oh WOW! Guys you have to take a look at this!" Piper cried in amazement. For miles, all the three sisters could see was lake, water, and more water. Peaceful water, water that made the three bickering sisters silent. In the middle of it, there were geeses and swans floating gracefully on the surface. Surrounding the lake was a thick forrest. To one side, they noticed a smaller house. "I guess that would be his boat house" Piper pointed. Across the water they could see other cottages on the other side, their lights lit, cozy and inviting, unlike theirs. It was the only one on the lake that looked abandoned.

"Our grandfather owned a lake?" Pheobe asked in amazement

"Looks like it. Or part of one at least" Piper said, acknowledging the other cottages.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Pheobe cried

"What?...No...No no no no...Pheobe" Prue began

"LET'S GO SWIMMING!" she cried, taking off for the dock.

"Get your ass back here right now!" Prue screamed

Pheobe muttered to herself. She hated it when Prue acted more like their mother than their sister. "Why can't I go swimming?" she asked

"Because I said so! Now are you gonna come back here yourself or am I gonna have to go down there and get you?" Prue asked. Pheobe sighed and stomped her way back to her two older sisters. "I hate you" she spat.

Prue ignored her latest comment. "We're sleeping in the car tonight." she stated.

"Why?" Pheobe asked, throwing her a dirty look.

"Do I have to remind you that you're the one who broke the key."

"It was one key that didn't even work anyways." she countered

"Well! Unless you can find a way to get us in, we are sleeping in the car."

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**AN: So how do you like it? I have no idea where this story is going, just a random idea that popped into my head. But please review anyways. Thanks :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey guys thanks so much for all your wonderful and supportive reviews :D I finally found time to update...sorry fo making you guys wait for so long but I had the nastiest case of writer's block...anyways enough of my endless ramblings. Enjoy Chapter 2 :)**

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**Chapter 2: A Strange Encountering**

Piper sat on an old rotting tree stump in the middle of the backyard. It was one of the only things that stood out amongst the dead garden. She was surrounded by tall weeds that came up to her shoulders once she sat down. She was staring off into the distance. 5:30 her watch had said, for Piper that was a late start. As she continued to stare off into the horizon, rays of sunlight were begining to appear, giving the sky and lake a light orange tint, it was abosolutely breath taking.

_"I don't want to leave" Piper sobbed into Dan's chest. _

_"It's ok baby, we'll call eachother and we'll always talk." he assured her. _

_"But I'll be so far away from you" she whined. _

_"I know, I know" he cooed as he rocked her back and forth in his arms._

'Maybe I should've ended it when I left.' Piper contemplated in her head. 'Long distance relationships are just so hard to handle' she argued. 'No you love Dan' a voice inside her screamed. 'No you don't!' another voice argued. "What the hell?" she muttered angrily, "Make up your mind Piper!" she scolded herself. She breathed in deeply and continued to think about her past. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, she glanced up, startled and saw it was her younger sister.

"Hey, you scared me"

"Sorry" Phoebe apologised sheepishly and sat down next to Piper on the ground.

"Couldn't sleep?" Piper inquired. She knew Phoebe was not a morning person as she often slept in til 2 or 3 in the afternoons on weekends.

"Yea, just...you know...thinking"

"Yea...me too..."

"The lake is abosolutely beautiful in the morning" Phoebe commented.

"It's always beautiful" Piper agreed. "The only thing that's beautiful in this awful place" She spat bitterly, blinking back tears.

"Hey...Piper's everything's gonna be ok...I know you miss Dan and all...but everything is gonna be ok...I promise." Phoebe said standing up and wrapping her arms around her older sister. "After all, life is like a movie" she joked.

Piper snorted slightly. "You and drama" she muttered affectionately.

"You know me" Phoebe shrugged with a smile plopping herself back down on the ground. "You know...with a little paint and a lot of hard work...this place well be as good as new.." she remarked, looking back at the run-downed cottage.

"Psh...it's gonna take more than paint just to fix this dump up"

"I think it's cozy, you know...the three of us...living here...beside a lake..."

Piper was silent. 'Yea except now we have to start our lives all over again' she thought. But deep down, she knew Phoebe was right, the idea of all three of them living together on a lake was a little appealing, but she was way to subborn to admit it.

"Come on, let's go and wake Prue, maybe we can drive down to town and get some breakfast" she suggested.

The sisters got up and walked hand in hand back to the front where the car was parked. Phoebe shuddered at the sight of it trying to push out thoughts that she had spent a full night cramped up inside that box. Prue was still fast asleep in the driver's seat, her face pressed up against the glass window, her loud snoring could still be heard by the two younger sisters standing outside watching her sleep. Phoebe walked over and pulled open the driver door. Prue fell out of her seat and screamed, she threw out her hands over the steering wheel to stablize herself and keep from falling onto the ground.

"PHOEBE!" Prue screamed

"Hi" She smiled sweetly at her sister, causing Prue to throw her a dirty look.

"What do you want?" She growled, half asleep.

"Breakfast" Phoebe answered bluntly as she climbed into the back seat of the car.

"What time is it?"

"Nearly 6:00" Piper answered as she settled herself comfortably in the passenger seat.

"And where do you propose we go?" Prue asked

"Home!" Phoebe piped.

"Shut up" Prue said through gritted teeth, home reminded her of Victor, and Victor made her mad.

"Into town" Piper said ignoring Phoebe, although home was exactly w here she wanted to be, home, on Prescott Street. "We can get some groceries while we're there too" she continued.

"Ok...Where's town?" clearly the oldest sister was losing her patience

"I don't know" Piper said tired, "Just drive around, and hopefully we come across something."

"What kind of stores open up at 6 am anyways?" muttered Prue quietly

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"Oh look, civilization" Phoebe remarked sarcastically as the girls pulled into town after driving across an empty highway for over forty mintues.

"Stop with the drama Phoebe"

"Wow Grampa must have wanted suclusion pretty badly" Piper observed as the three girls walked into the nearest store

"Yea well from this world, who wouldn't want suclusion from it?" Prue spat angrily

"Ok what do we need" Piper asked ignoring Prue's latest comment.

"I don't know, how about we just run around until we find something useful?"

"Well, we need to fix up the cottage, so paint." Piper continued still ignoring Prue. She couldn't help but feel a little angry, her older sister's negative attitude was not doing any of them any good. Wasn't it her stupid idea to move up here anyways? But then again, Prue was normally like this until she drowned herself with numerous cups of coffee in the morning

"Lots of paint" Phoebe piped up. "What about garden supplies? We have to fix up the front and back yards."

"Uh...I think Grampa might have some of those lying around in his boat house."

"FOOD!" The youngest sister suddenly shouted, shocked that she had forgotten about eating although it felt like her stomach was eating itself up inside.

"We'll get to it Phoebe" Prue snapped.

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The old man stared intently at the three girls as he was slowly scanning their grocery items, never once did he take his icy, emotionless eyes off the sisters. Prue shifted her eyes occasionally to meet his. She couldn't help but feel bothered by his persistent staring and no doubt her younger sisters had felt the same, or even worse as they had taken to cowarding behind her. Even though Prue stood infront of her and Phoebe, protecting them, Piper could help but still feel his eyes peircing through her older sister's and into her.

"You girls seem familar" he finally said in a raspy voice that made Piper's spine shiver and her skin rise in millions of tiny goosebumps. She looked over at Phoebe who clung on to Prue's right arm.

"You must have us mistaken for someone else, we don't know anyone in this area" Prue said acting boldly and praying that her quivering voice wouldn't give her away.

"Oh really? Is that so?" he inquired, suddenly intrigued, he cocked up his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Yup!" Phoebe piped up in an attempt to support her sister. "We just moved here" she stated enthusiastically.

"Did you now?" he said, even more interested than before. Prue shot Phoebe a 'shut-up-now-or-I-will-kill-you-look' However instead of acknowledging her death glare, Phoebe decided to ignored her older sister and continue talking.

"Yup! Into the cottages by the lake" she piped

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about the old Halliwell Cottage now would you?"

"You knew our grandfather?" Prue asked sharply. She could feel imense anger building up inside of her, but she couldn't pinpoint why exactly.

"I knew more than just your grandfather...I knew his daughter..." he whispered hoarsely, placing emphasis on the word **knew**. The three sisters froze at the mention of their mother. Piper stole a quick glance at Prue, whose face wore an emotion she couldnt' quite read.

"You knew Patty?" Piper asked, her voice cleary quivering.

"More than just knew" he rasped. "You Patty's daughters?" he inquired

There was a long moment of silence. Prue finally felt something snap in her, she quickly turned away to aviod meeting her younger sisters' eyes, large tears were now flowing steadily down her face, her body shook uncontrollably as she attempted to silence her sobs.

"...yea" Phoebe replied timidily, her throat dry.

The old man's eyes grew wide with a mix of shock and fear. "Y-y-ou are?" he stuttered

"Yea...why?" Piper asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Get out of that house!" he whispered loudly.

"Excuse me?" Piper asked appalled at his sudden change in behaviour.

"Get out of that house!" he repeated

"Why?"

"It's cursed, evil surrounds it, there's something strange about that cottage, before it was abandoned people could always hear screams and explosions coming from it, something supernatural resides there, it's where your mother died...killed by...a demon."

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_"Penny Halliwell?" _

_"Yes officer?" _

_"Im afraid we have some bad news regarding your daughter." he said solemnly, his eyes shifted from the young girl peaking out from behind Gram's legs. Gram's face tightened and turned grave. _

_"What is it?" she swallowed hard. _

_"Patty Halliwell's body was found at your family cottage, she...she drowned...the third one this summer."_

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"Our mother drowned!" Prue snapped. Turning around to face him, fury in her eyes. "In a lake!" she eyed him evily.

"Oh is that what _they _told you?" the old man hissed. "Well don't listen to _them_, they don't know anything. She was murdered"

The oldest Halliwell looked like she had been slapped. Prue was silent, she didn't say anything, instead she stood, rooted to her spot, shaking with anger, fist clenched. Her tears were still flowing, but she no longer cared if her sisters saw. Finally, she acted, she stalked over to the counter, grabbed their grocery bags, and walked out of the store, Piper and Phoebe following her.

"GET OUT OF THAT HOUSE!" he yelled after them. As he watched them leave, the old man smirked to himself. "They won't survive...for long..." he whispered.

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"You just had to open your big mouth didn't you Phoebe? Couldn't keep it shut? Didn't mom ever tell you never talk to strangers?" Prue spat angrily.

"Don't talk about mom like that"

"Why not? It's not like you care! If you did you would have shut up!"

Phoebe stopped walking. She glared at Prue angrily. Piper stopped as well between her two sisters, she glanced to and from each sister and knew that she was forced to be in the middle once again.

"Don't...don't you dare say I don't care about mom!"

"You---"

"Guys! I think we're short one grocery bag." Piper remarked.

"---don't care about mom!"

"Oh and you would know how? hmm? It's not like you care about me! I bet you, you spend half your time pretending I don't even exist. I bet you, you **wish** I didn't exist!"

"How dare you even have the nerve to say I don't care about you? I GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR YOU AND PIPER!"

"NO! You gave up everything for Piper, not for me, for Piper, you just never considered that Piper came in a package deal...me..."

"YOU---

"GUYS! WE'RE SHORT A GROCERY BAG!"

"ALRIGHT FINE! WE'LL GO BACK AND GET IT!" Prue roared enraged. "God damnit it's only 8 o'clock and I already wish this day was over!"

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"Excuse me!" Piper called as the three walked back into the small grocery store. The old man was no where to be found, but their grocery bag was standing on the counter. "Hey!" she yelled again.

"Damnit Piper just take the bag and go"

"Yea...well...except for the part where we forgot to pay for the groceries"

"Yea well I think he kinda owes us" Prue jeered sarcastically. "Or is it every stranger that comes up to you and starts telling you that your mother was murdered?"

Piper sighed, Prue was normally not one for patience, and in the morning she was normally even worse. So she decided not to argue and walked over to pick up the bag. As she did, her foot landed in something wet. Piper looked down and noticed that she had stepped into a large puddle of water. A small trickle of water followed from the counter and continued to leak into the puddle.

"Ugh..." she groaned, shaking her foot out wildly, "my shoes...my shoes..." she whined quietly to herself. "Stupid place has a leak!"

"Seriously, anytime now Piper!"

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**AN: Sorry about the crappy ending...writer's block attacking me once again. But I'm working on chapter 3 and hope to have it finished soon. Anyways please read and review :) Suggestions are always welcome :)**


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